George c



(No Model.) I G. U. HUMPHRIES.

SIGN.

No. 540,493. Patented June 4, 1895.

I INVE'NTOR ITNESSES:

A TTOHNEYS.

ms NORRAS PETERS c0 FNDTO-U'IHO, WASHINGTON n. c

UNITED STATES.

PATENT-OFFICE.

GEORGE o. HUMPHRIEs, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

SlGN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of ''Letters Patent No. 540,493, dated June 4, 1895.

Application filed March 12, 1895.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGEO. HUMPHRIES, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Sign, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improvement in signs and especially to an improvement in signs to be fastened or attached to steps, it being the object of the invention to provide a sign which may be expeditiously and conveniently secured to a step without injury to the latter, thus providing a means of render- .ing visible the house number without depending on that usually placed on the transom or over or on the door.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar figures and letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a perspective view of the sign applied. to the steps of a dwelling. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the body portion of the sign. Fig. 3 is a section taken transversely through said body, and Fig. at is a combined bracket-support and fastening device employed in connection with the body of the sign.

In carrying out the invention, what may be termed the body A of the sign consists of a plate 10 of any'desired material, metal being usually employed for the purpose. This plate may be of any desired shape or dimensions, but is usually made rectangular as shown, and it is provided at top and bottom upon its outer face with a flange 11, the flanges being made to face one another, and they extend outwardfrom the body plate a sufficient distance toform slideways for numbers A, characters, or whatever the plate is intended to receive. The body plate 10 is cut away to a greater or less extent at its bottom edge adjacentto the end, the said recesses being designated in-the drawings as 12; and the bottom flange 11 is also cut away where these Serial No. 541,467. (No model.)

recesses 12 Occur. The upper flange 11 is either cutaway at the ends of the body plate, or is made to stop short of said ends.

In connection with the body plate, fastening or retaining devices 13 are used, one of which is shown in detail in Fig. 4. This retaining or fastening device consists of a horizontal member 13, preferably fiat and sharpened at its inner end, and a vertical member 14 which is ordinarily made integral with the horizontal member, and the horizontal member extends forwardly or beyond the front of the vertical member to form an offset 15. The upper end of the horizontal member may be made to terminate in an eye 16, or may be given any ornamental shape, or may be left plain. Preferably however it is rounded off to prevent a garment, especially a dress, be ing caught by the upper end of this member.

In applying the device the numbers or characters are slid in position in the body plate, and preferably two of the retaining devices are used in connection with each body plate. The plate is pressed firmly against the riser 17 of a step 18 as shown in Fig. 1, and the horizontal members of the retaining devices 13 are pushed beneath the plate at the recessed portions 12, and the said horizontal members of the retaining devices are then driven into the space between the riser and the step proper until the vertical members of the retaining devices shall be brought in firm engagement with the outer face of the body plate. 'In this manner it is obvious thata sign may be expeditiously, conveniently and economically secured to a step without injury to thelatter, and that the sign may be conspicuously displayed, while at the same time it will be entirely out of the way.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. A step sign, the same consisting of a body plate adapted to bear numbers or characters, and an angled fastening device comprising a horizontal sharpened member and a vertical member, the horizontal member extending outwardly beyond the front of the vertical member forming an offset, the said horizontal member being adapted to be driven between a step and the riser of the next step until the vertical member engages with the said sign, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a step sign, a sign plate having recesses in its under edge near its ends, and angled retaining devices comprising a horizontal sharpened member and a vertical member, the horizontal member extending outwardly beyond the vertical member, the said horizontal member being adapted to enter a recess in the sign plate and likewise to enter the step between it and the riser, the vertical member engaging with the outer face of the said sign plate, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a step sign, the combination, with a sign plate having slide-ways produced therein at the top and bottom, the said slide-ways terminating short of the ends of the said plate, and retaining devices, the same consisting of a horizontal sharpened member and a vertical member integral therewith, the vertical member being adapted to engage with the outer face of the sign plate at the ends of the slide- Ways therein, closing said slide-ways, and the horizontal members of the said retaining devices being adapted to be driven into the sup port for the sign plate, whereby the retaining devices serve to hold the sign plate in position and with it Whateverletters or characters that may be placed in the slide-ways of the plate, as and for the purpose specified.

t. A step sign, the same consisting of a sign plate having recesses in its under edge near its ends, the said plate being provided upon its outer face at top and bottom with flanges forming slideways, and angled fastening devices comprising a horizontal sharpened member and a vertical member, the horizontal member being adapted to be driven between a step and the riser of the next step and likewise adapted to engage a recess in the plate, and the vertical member being adapted to engage with the outer face of the sign plate at the ends of the slideways, as and for the purpose set forth.

GEORGE C. HUM PHRIES.

WVitnesses:

J FRED. AoKEn, (J. SEDGWIOK. 

